This invention relates to a composition which has bacteriocidal or bacteriostatic activity.
There is a great demand both in industry and elsewhere for agents which have bacteriocidal activity or bacteriostatic activity or both. An agent which has bacteriocidal activity will destroy bacteria whereas an agent which has bacteriostatic activity will inhibit the growth of bacteria without destroying them. Examples of industrially used bacteriocidal agents are phenol and its derivatives, hypochlorite, mercuric chloride and organic mercury compounds. Many of these agents are specialist chemicals which are expensive. Humic acids occurring naturally in materials such as sewage sludge or decomposed plant material (compost) have been shown in literature to have some anti-microbial action.
Reference to this regard may be had, for example to Hasset et al. Bacteriocidal Action of Humic Acids, Soil. Biol. Biochem. 19, 111-113, (1987).
However, due to the divergent origins of these natural sources it is difficult, if not impossible, to produce a uniform and consistent natural humic acid product. It is also difficult and expensive to extract humic acids from these natural sources because of their low humic acid content.